A vital part of understanding God and the Bible is our ability to discern or recognize His teachings in our everyday life.

Note what we are told in Hebrews 4:12-13 about the word of God.

12. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

To be living and active also implies that it is present with us today, because it did not die; it is not only for times past, it is present in our lives today to help us live by the heavenly will of God.

But there is even more…

13. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
NASB

In other words, nothing is hidden from God.

This is why we consider the Bible to be the living active word of God.

He sees every good and evil thing that people have done through the ages, even to this present day, but unfortunately most of what God sees is the evil that people have done through their warring madness and terrible exploitation of animals.

So, as we take a look at Psalm 118:1-14, let’s view it as being just as living and active today as it was when it was first written, some three thousand years ago.

1. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

We all should just naturally give thanks to the Lord for everything: the air we breathe, the water we drink and bathe in, and for the beauty of His creation.

In addition, we should be thanking the Lord for His lovingkindness for it is everlasting, even if most of the world rejects it.

And, the word “lovingkindness” is one of those words that truly reflect the timelessness of the living active word of God.

2. Oh let Israel say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

And most importantly, let the church say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting,” and do everything in their power to make it a reality for the whole of creation, for this is all part of God’s lovingkindness.

The lovingkindness of the Lord does not shine His face of approval upon our warring madness that causes millions of our fellow human beings to suffer and die every year, for there is nothing loving or kind about our warring madness.

Similarly, there is nothing loving or kind about the way farmed animals are treated, or the way other exploited animals are treated, and causes billions of them to suffer and die every year, which should plainly show us that it must break the heart of God, for it could never be a part of His lovingkindness.

3. Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

4. Oh let those who fear the LORD say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Obviously, relatively few people must fear or reverence the Lord, for most of the world is contributing to the continued corruption of His creation and the horrible suffering, bloodshed, and death that plagues the world.

They are rejecting His lovingkindness, which is a vital part of the living active word of God, and plainly shows that they are not following the Lord they claim to follow.

5. From my distress I called upon the LORD;
The LORD answered me and set me in a large place.

Like the psalmist, those of us who are truly peacemaking children of God and trying to free creation from its present corruption are in distress because of all the suffering we see around us.

The closer we move to God, the more our mind’s eye sees the world as God sees it, which is like being set in a very large place; the same kind of place that the psalmist wrote about.

We also have called upon the Lord to end this horrible suffering, but instead of ending the suffering in the world, the Lord showed us even more of it, and told us that we have the power to help end the corruption by being credible witnesses and peacefully speaking out at every opportunity.

6. The LORD is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?

There really is no reason to fear, for even if we die, we shall live in the peace and lovingkindness of the Lord in heaven forever and ever.

7. The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

The people who contribute to the corruption of this world and thereby reject God’s lovingkindness and word will one day have to answer to the Lord for their actions.

If we could respond to God’s call and change our ways, so can everyone else, if they want to; but they seem to love the corrupt ways of the world with all its bloodshed even more.

8. It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in man.

9. It is better to take refuge in the LORD
Than to trust in princes.

This is absolutely true, and it might help to think of “princes” as being our appointed leaders and elected politicians, who seem to follow the money that keeps them in office more than they follow the Lord.

10. All nations surrounded me;
In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off.

11. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;
In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off.

Part of being an activist for the oppressed humans and animals in this world is cutting off the enemies who seek to harm them.

12. They surrounded me like bees;
They were extinguished as a fire of thorns;
In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off.

We have seen this happen with slavery, but there is still evil around that oppresses the former slaves and other oppressed peoples.

We have seen this happen with cigarettes, but the known dangers of smoking have not completely stopped the sales, for many people ignore the warnings and continue to smoke.

And, we have seen this begin to happen with freeing the animals from human exploitation and greed, but there is still a long way to go.

13. You pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the LORD helped me.

The evil ones of this world do push back at us violently in a last ditch effort to preserve their worldly ways, but the Lord is on the side of righteousness and will help us peacefully stand firmly against the forces of evil.

14. The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
NASB

Isaiah 65:17-25 speaks of the future, but we are to apply this knowledge as part of our ministry of living in the living active word of God in the world today.

And, yes, we all have a ministry for the Lord, whether or not we accept it.

17. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.

This is the same thing we are told about in Revelation chapter 21, but let’s specifically note what we are told in Revelation 21:4.

4. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
NIV

This plainly shows God’s heavenly will, which Jesus taught us to pray for it to happen, now, on earth as it us in heaven.

And remember, that if we pray for this to happen it should also mean that we will do everything in our power to help make it happen; and also, that the elimination of death begins with what we put on our plates.

18. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing,
And her people for gladness.

19. “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

This is the elimination of mourning that we are told about in Revelation 21:4.

This is also God’s desire for the whole world.

20. “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who does not live out his days;
For the youth will die at the age of one hundred
And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred
Shall be thought accursed.

21. “And they shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

Note also that God speaks only of plant foods, which is further proof that there will be no more death, and that this state of being is all part of God’s heavenly will.

22. “They shall not build, and another inhabit,
They shall not plant, and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And My chosen ones shall wear out the work of their hands.

23. “They shall not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD,
And their descendants with them.

24. “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

When we are the people who live in the heavenly will of God, whatever we ask will be heard and answered.

25. “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.
NASB

This is the peaceable kingdom!

This is not just for the future, for if we want it to happen in the here and now, we can see it begin to become a reality.

This is all part of what it means to live in the living active word of God.

But it doesn’t just happen; we need to work for it, as Jesus teaches us in Luke 21:1-19.

1. And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.

2. And He saw a certain poor widow putting in two small copper coins.

3. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;

4. for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

In other words, we need to be willing to give back to the Lord everything that we are, our whole being, and everything we have, for nothing should be before God.

This is what this poor widow did.

5. And while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said,

6. “As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.”

This all came to pass in the year 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple.

7. And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

People always seem to want some sort of sign instead of abiding in the living active word of God by faith.

8. And He said, “See to it that you be not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is at hand’; do not go after them.

9. “And when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.”

This seems to be the state of the world today.

10. Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

11. and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

Then Jesus makes it more personal for the people living in Jerusalem and Judea, but in a way it also can apply to us in our worldly situation here on earth.

12. “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.

13. “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.

14. “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;

We are always to remain as the peacemaking children of God.

15. for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.

16. “But you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,

17. and you will be hated by all on account of My name.

For those of us who are really trying to live in the heavenly will of God, we are also seeing some of this happening around the world.

18. “Yet not a hair of your head will perish.

We don’t believe that this is for everyone, for there are many who perish in their faith. However, nothing will perish from God’s book of life.

19. “By your endurance you will gain your lives.
NASB

We will gain our everlasting lives in heaven.

This is all part of our living in the heavenly will of God, and understanding that the whole Bible is the living active word of God for us to apply and live by in the world today.